Susan Boyle was just an ordinary middle-aged British woman before she appeared on the reality show（真人秀）.
She lives in a house with her cat Pebbles in a tiny Scottish town. Because of learning difficulties, she doesn’t have much education. But what she does have is a very good voice. As a kid, she sang in church and school plays. For a living, she sang at local pubs.
When she took the stage on April 10th, her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just one step up from rags（破烂）.The audience laughed at her.
But then she opened her mouth. A few bars into the song and the laughing audience went silent. A beautiful voice was singing I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables. Everyone was amazed. At the end of the song, the audience jumped to their feet and applauded wildly.
Almost overnight, Susan became a household name. She won fans and millions of admirers. Her online videos have drawn over 85.2 million hits.
Susan’s story proved the truth of an old saying: “Never judge a book by its cover.”
1.The underlined phrase “just one step up from” in the third paragraph probably means “_________”.
A. far from B. close to
C. different from D. the same as
2. The audience jumped and applauded wildly because ___________.
A. her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just one step up from rags
B. she looks very funny
C. she sang so well that everyone was amazed
D. she made a foolish mistake in the end
3.Susan Boyle has many fans now because of _____________.
A. her beautiful face
B. her knowing how to dress
C. her good education
D. her beautiful voice and courage
4.The passage is mainly about____________.
A. how to win fans B. how to sing well
C. a woman’s sudden success D. a woman’s simple life
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Susan Boyle was just an ordinary middle-aged British woman before she appeared on the reality show（真人秀）.
She lives in a house with her cat Pebbles in a tiny Scottish town. Because of learning difficulties, she doesn’t have much education. But what she does have is a very good voice. As a kid, she sang in church and school plays. For a living, she sang at local pubs.
When she took the stage on April 10th, her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just one step up from rags（破烂）.The audience laughed at her.
But then she opened her mouth. A few bars into the song and the laughing audience went silent. A beautiful voice was singing I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables. Everyone was amazed. At the end of the song, the audience jumped to their feet and applauded wildly.
Almost overnight, Susan became a household name. She won fans and millions of admirers. Her online videos have drawn over 85.2 million hits.
Susan’s story proved the truth of an old saying: “Never judge a book by its cover.”
1.The underlined phrase “just one step up from” in the third paragraph probably means “_________”.
A. far from B. close to
C. different from D. the same as
2. The audience jumped and applauded wildly because ___________.
A. her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just one step up from rags
B. she looks very funny
C. she sang so well that everyone was amazed
D. she made a foolish mistake in the end
3.Susan Boyle has many fans now because of _____________.
A. her beautiful face
B. her knowing how to dress
C. her good education
D. her beautiful voice and courage
4.The passage is mainly about____________.
A. how to win fans B. how to sing well
C. a woman’s sudden success D. a woman’s simple life
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Susan Boyle was once a Scottish church volunteer. She decided to enter a competition named “British got Talent” at the age of 47years. On April 15th 2009, when Susan got up to sing, the audience was shocked by her age and simplicity.
Middle-aged women were not the usual type of competitor on the show and the audience was even more surprised when she said before starting to sing that she wanted to become a professional singer. To them she looked well past such possibilities. However, she amazed everybody with her wonderful voice and became an overnight singing star. It was reported that the audience all stood up and clapped warmly and that within 9 days, 100 million people had watched her performances and interviews on the Internet.
This was a lot of progress for an unemployed woman who lived along with her cat. Most of her life had been spent looking after her mother who had died aged 92, two years earlier. She had never been married or in her words, “been kissed”. Susan had learned difficulties and had only once been employed as an assistant cook.
Even though Susan did not win the “British got Talent Show” and came up second, two years later, she already released two successful albums. Many people are touched by her story because Susan Boyle is like each of us in one way or another—full of weakness, often disappointed and mocked at by others. However, unlike many of us who usually give up too soon, she had the determination to fight for her dream. Susan Boyle launched her successful music career at the age of 48 and you too can still achieve your dream. Just take courage.
1.What shocked the audience most before Susan started to sing?
A. Her experience and figure.
B. Her wonderful voice
C. Her age and simplicity.
D. Her dream career .
2.What can we learn from the third Paragraph?
A. Susan was good at raising the cat.
B. Susan was a single woman.
C. Susan learned much while attending her mother.
D. Susan didn’t like cooking.
3.What does the underlined word “mocked at” in the fourth paragraph refer to?
A. Laughed at.
B. Highly respected.
C. Cut off.
D. Turned to.
4.What does the writer intend to tell us?
A. Failure is the path to success.
B. It is never too late to start your dream.
C. Entering TV talent show leads to success.
D. Some singers succeed late in life.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Cameron is no ordinary dog, and not just because he was born on Valentine's Day. To Maggie, a first grader at Burgundy Farm Country Day School, the dog who spends most days on campus is more like a friend. When Cameron is near, Maggie feels "really, really, happy," she said, "I feel safe around him, she added. "He '11 lie down and ask me to scratch his tummy," she explained, because Cameron likes Maggie.
Cameron is one of a handful of dogs at Burgundy, a K-8 private day school in Alexandria, Virginia. Dogs started showing up there when the head of school, Jeff Sindler, brought his clumsy Labrador, Luke, to the main office building where Sindler works. After Luke died, Sindler adopted Cameron and brought him to campus, too, where the dog Maggie described as really cute" became a school favorite.
“They don’t care if you are good at basketball or a great reader, or popular," Sindler said. “They just want to be loved — equal opportunity," he added. "Cameron and the other dogs on campus—are always fastened with a rope and with their owner一go a long way toward improving students' social and emotional well-being," he said. They reduce tension and ease anxiety, and inspire happy feelings from students.
“They bring out some important emotions/' he said, “and are especially helpful to children and adults who struggle in social communication, Children often came from challenging backgrounds: many lived in poverty, or had to travel through dangerous neighborhoods to get to school, or shared a too-crowded home. When these emotionally needy children met the dogs, they relaxed and were more prepared to learn.
Just as important, dogs on school grounds set a positive, welcoming tone. They help preserve the school climate that is accepting, supportive and curious・"Dogs are one way to hold on to Sindler said, adding that "schools should be fun and exciting, and dogs can be a big part of that."
For Sindler, including Cameron was all part of an effort to create a safe environment where learning could flourish.
1.What makes the dog Cameron really special?
A.His rare species B.His particular birthmark.
C.His attractive appearance. D.His friendly nature.
2.How do dogs on campus improve students' social and emotional well-being?
A.By playing fetch together fondly.
B.By offering them comfort equally.
C.By playing basketball together freely.
D.By walking a long way together happily.
3.What docs the underlined word"that" in paragraph 5 refer to?
A.A positive tom. B.The school ground.
C.A welcoming attitude. D.The school atmosphere.
4.What’s the purpose of the passage?
A.To encourage schools to bring in more dogs.
B.To explain why dogs help students with learning.
C.To introduce a way to help students grow healthily,
D.To explore the possibility to challenge no-dog rules.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
When 47yearold volunteer Susan Boyle stepped onto the stage of Britain's Got Talent and announced she was unemployed, had never been married and “never been kissed, actually”， few in the audience would have wondered why. This Ms Boyle, looking unfashionable, from a village in Scotland, shocked the three judges and the audience with the song I dreamed a dream on a show of Britain's Got Talent.
She couldn't hide the awkwardness when walking to the center of the stage in a house dress, and everyone — including the judges — seemed laughing at her when she said she wanted to be as successful as Elaine Paige. As soon as she began singing, however, everyone in the hall fell silent, then rose within seconds to admire her wonderful voice as the celebrity judges sat openmouthed, and remained standing to the end.
After her performance, one of the judges Piers Morgan said，“Without doubt that was the biggest surprise I've had in three years of this show. When you stood there everyone was laughing at you. No one is laughing now. That was amazing.” Actress Amanda Holden followed，“I'm so thrilled because I know that we everybody were against you. I honestly think that we were all being very cynical (愤世嫉俗的) and I think that's the biggest wakeup call ever.”
Susan obviously won over the hearts of millions around the world with success spreading across the Atlantic. Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher, who has nearly 1.5 million followers, speaks highly of her. Kutcher posted a link to the video clip (片段). The Scottish talent made her live American show via satellite connection on CBS's The Early Show, doing an interview and singing live from her room. And she already accepted an invitation from talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey.
Now Boyle has become one of the world's hottest celebrities. The video clip of her performance has been viewed more than 50 million times on Youtube, becoming a hit on the Internet.
1.We learn from the passage that Susan Boyle ________.
A. rose from a low social class
B. had an unhappy marriage
C. lived with a dog alone on a farm
D. won the championship in the Britain's Got Talent show
2.At the beginning of the show, almost everybody ________.
A. looked forward to her wonderful performance
B. was attracted by her beautiful dress
C. looked down upon her
D. placed great hope on her
3. The 4th paragraph is mainly about ________.
A. how Susan Boyle achieved her success
B. the comment made by American actor Ashton Kutcher
C. Susan Boyle's influence in the USA
D. Oprah Winfrey's invitation to Susan Boyle
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The train had started moving. It was with people of all ages, mostly with the middle-aged workers and young students. Near the sat an old man with his thirty-year-old son. As the train moved by, the son was overjoyed with the outside. “See, dad, the scenery of green trees moving is very beautiful.”
This behavior from a son made the other people feel strange about him. Everyone was about the son. “This person seems to be ,” a newly-married man whispered to his wife.
Suddenly it started . Lots of drops fell on the travelers through the open window. The son excitedly said to his father, “See, dad, how the rain is, too.” The man’s wife was annoyed by the rain drops spoiling (弄坏) her suit. The young man said to the father, “Can’t you see it raining yourself? Your son be mentally ill. Get him to a hospital!”
The old man at first, feeling rather hurt and then replied, “We are on the way back from the . My son was from birth. He just recovered from an eye operation yesterday. The rain and nature are all new to his eyes. Please us for the inconvenience that we may have caused.”
The things we see may be right from the outside we know the truth, the lesson learnt may be too late. Imam Ali once said: A fool’s mind is at the mercy of his tongue and a wise man’s tongue is under the control of his . So try to understand the problem better before taking a(n) action. As the saying goes, “It is better to light up a candle instead of blaming the .”
1.A. covered B. crowded C. concerned D. bored
2.A. baggage B. bed C. people D. window
3.A. view B. people C. hills D. cities
4.A. forward B. away C. hurriedly D. slowly
5.A. naughty B. handsome C. grown-up D. curious
6.A. whispering B. shouting C. thinking D. worrying
7.A. young B. clever C. lovely D. mad
8.A. frosting B. snowing C. winding D. raining
9.A. hard B. beautiful C. heavy D. cold
10.A. cheap B. dirty C. new D. worn
11.A. should B. can C. must D. need
12.A. hesitated B. cried C. laughed D. jumped
13.A. factory B. home C. school D. hospital
14.A. deaf B. blind C. troublesome D. crazy
15.A. offer B. thank C. forgive D. leave
16.A. after B. though C. if D. until
17.A. but B. or C. for D. while
18.A. hands B. eyes C. tongue D. mind
19.A. emotional B. important C. rude D. necessary
20.A. doctors B. darkness C. manners D. Patients
高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
A British shopper, Emma Mumford, who was named “the Coupon(优惠券) Queen” has spent just ￡350 on a luxury Christmas for her and her family-but got ￡2,500 worth of food, drink and presents thanks to coupons and offers.
Ms Mumford is a so-called “extreme couponer” and spends hours hunting out the best deals and bargains. She has been preparing for this Christmas since the end of the last one. Ms Mumford made the huge savings by checking price comparison websites and as a result collected more presents than she needed for Christmas. After sorting out gifts for all of her family, she has even been able to donate ￡1,000 worth of presents to her local hospital.
“It has been so nice to have Christmas sorted and not having to worry about breaking the bank. I wanted to get high quality presents for my family and show that you can do it without spending a fortune. There is a misconception that everyone who does couponing only gets value products but through my careful shopping I have managed to purchase designer perfumes, a high-end coffee machine.” she explained.
She said “What started as a hobby to help me save money has turned into my life and I am able to run a business helping people save money. I know what it feels like to struggle as my ex-partner had a lot of debt which I took on for him. We were in a poor situation where every penny counted. That’s what really inspired me.”
She has now turned her bargain-hunting addiction into a business where she searches for the best deals and offer tips to the general public through video blogging and her Facebook Page.
“I try and show people that it is just a little bit of work in the beginning but it will eventually pay off. One of the best things to do is just to be a bit forward thinking and save throughout the year.”
1.How did Emma make the huge savings ?
A. She compared prices through websites.
B. She hunted out bargains in real shops.
C. She used coupons and offers worth ￡2,500.
D. She collected more Christmas presents than needed.
2.What does “breaking the bank” in the third paragraph mean____?
A. Buying presents of low quality.
B. Spending more money than you have.
C. Breaking into the bank.
D. Taking out money from the bank.
3.What really inspired Emma to help people save money?
A. Her addiction to bargain-hunting.
B. The financial difficulties she shared with her ex-partner.
C. The poor situation people around her were going through.
D. Her experience of running an unsuccessful business.
4.Which of the following can best describe Emma?
A. Ambitious and creative.
B. Sensitive and determined.
C. Brave and lucky.
D. Careful and caring.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A British shopper, Emma Mumford, who was named “the Coupon(优惠券) Queen” has spent just ￡350 on a luxury Christmas for her and her family-but got ￡2,500 worth of food, drink and presents thanks to coupons and offers.
Ms Mumford is a so-called “extreme couponer” and spends hours hunting out the best deals and bargains. She has been preparing for this Christmas since the end of the last one. Ms Mumford made the huge savings by checking price comparison websites and as a result collected more presents than she needed for Christmas. After sorting out gifts for all of her family, she has even been able to donate ￡1,000 worth of presents to her local hospital.
“It has been so nice to have Christmas sorted and not having to worry about breaking the bank. I wanted to get high quality presents for my family and show that you can do it without spending a fortune. There is a misconception that everyone who does couponing only gets value products but through my careful shopping I have managed to purchase designer perfumes, a high-end coffee machine.” she explained.
She said “What started as a hobby to help me save money has turned into my life and I am able to run a business helping people save money. I know what it feels like to struggle as my ex-partner had a lot of debt which I took on for him. We were in a poor situation where every penny counted. That’s what really inspired me.”
She has now turned her bargain-hunting addiction into a business where she searches for the best deals and offer tips to the general public through video blogging and her Facebook Page.
“I try and show people that it is just a little bit of work in the beginning but it will eventually pay off. One of the best things to do is just to be a bit forward thinking and save throughout the year.”
1.How did Emma make the huge savings ?
A. She compared prices through websites.
B. She hunted out bargains in real shops.
C. She used coupons and offers worth ￡2,500.
D. She collected more Christmas presents than needed.
2.What does “breaking the bank” in the third paragraph mean____?
A. Buying presents of low quality.
B. Spending more money than you have.
C. Breaking into the bank.
D. Taking out money from the bank.
3.What really inspired Emma to help people save money?
A. Her addiction to bargain-hunting.
B. The financial difficulties she shared with her ex-partner.
C. The poor situation people around her were going through.
D. Her experience of running an unsuccessful business.
4.Which of the following can best describe Emma?
A. Ambitious and creative.
B. Sensitive and determined.
C. Brave and lucky.
D. Careful and caring.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The family had just moved. The young woman was feeling a little __1__. It was Mother’s Day – and 800 miles separated her from her parents.
She had called them that morning, and her mother had __2__ how colorful their backyard was __3__ spring had arrived. Later, she told her husband how she __4__ those lilacs (丁香花) in her parents’ yard. “I know where we can find some,” he said. “Get the __5__ and come on.” So off they went.
Some time later, they stopped at a hill and there were lilacs all round. The young woman rushed up to the nearest __6__ and buried her face in the flowers. Carefully, she __7__ some. Finally, they returned to their car for the __8__ home. The woman sat smiling, surrounded by her __9__.
When they were near home, she shouted “Stop,” got out quickly and __10__ to a nearby nursing home. She went to the end of the porch (门廊), where a(n) __11__ patient was sitting in her wheelchair, and put the flowers into her lap. The two __12__, bursting into laughter now and then. Later the young woman turned and ran back to her __13__. As the car pulled away, the woman in the wheelchair __14__ with a smile, and held the lilacs __15__.
“Mom,” the kids asked, “__16__ did you give her our flowers?”“It is Mother’s Day, and she seems so __17__while I have all of you. And anyone would be __18__ by flowers.”
This satisfied the kids, but not the husband. The next day he __19__ some young lilacs around their yard.
I was the husband. Now, every May, our yard is full of lilacs. Every Mother’s Day our kids __20__ purple lilacs. And every year I remember that smile of the lonely old woman. And that has become a lasting touching memory of my life.
1. A．moved B．worried C．angry D．depressed
2. A．learned B．imagined C．mentioned D．realized
3. A．now that B．so that C．as if D．even if
4. A．missed B．planted C．watered D．showed
5. A．cars B．kids C．clothes D．lilacs
6. A．bush B．hill C．yard D．door
7. A．bought B．picked C．sent D．raised
8. A．break B．holiday C．trip D．dinner
9. A．friends B．memory C．flowers D．honor
10. A．responded B．pointed C．drove D．hurried
11. A．loving B．elderly C．serious D．sensitive
12. A．hesitated B．waited C．sat D．chatted
13. A．family B．mother C．path D．home
14. A．nodded B．waved C．left D．continued
15. A．weakly B．politely C．quickly D．tightly
16. A．why B．when C．how D．where
17. A．quiet B．confused C．alone D．patient
18. A．calmed B．persuaded C．disappointed D．cheered
19. A．arranged B．dried C．grew D．hid
20. A．find B．gather C．receive D．sell
高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
—I got an email from Susan, _____ said she was going abroad for sightseeing.
—Fantastic! That’s what she has been dreaming of.
A. which B. she C. who D. it
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
An experiment was carried out at British school into the performance of new pupils. At the start of the year, the pupils were each given a rating, ranging from “excellent prospect” to “unlikely to do well”. These were totally untrue ratings and did not reflect how well the pupils had previously performed. However, these ratings were given to the teachers. At the end of the year, the experimenters compared the pupils’ performance with the ratings. Despite their real abilities, there was an astonishingly high connection between performance and ratings. It seems that people perform as well as we expect them to.
The Self-fulfilling Effect is also known as the Pygmalion Effect. This comes from an old Greek story. The story was also the basis of George Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion”, later turned into the musical “My Fair Lady”. In Shaw’s play, Professor Henry Higgins claims he can turn a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle into a duchess. But, as Eliza herself points out to Higgins’ friend Pickering, it isn’t what she learns or does that determines whether she will become a duchess, but how she’s treated.
The implication (含义) of the Pygmalion Effect for leaders and managers is massive. It means that the performance of your team depends less on them than it does on you. The performance you get from people is no more or less than what you expect, which means you must always expect the best. As Goethe said, “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.”
1.The underlined word “rating” in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by “_________”.
A. program B. regulation
C. correction D. classification
2.What’s the passage mainly about?
A. A new scientific experiment.
B. The Self-fulfilling Effect.
C. Shaw’s play “Pygmalion”.
D. An improved teaching method.
3.The experiment was made in order to _________.
A. try out a new teaching method
B. pick out the most excellent pupils
C. learn if expectations affect performance
D. give each pupil a proper rating
4.What made Eliza change into a duchess according to Eliza herself?
A. Strict training from Higgins.
B. Her own strong will and hard work.
C. The proper way she was regarded
D. Warm encouragement from Pickering.
5.According to the Pygmalion Effect, if you want a man to finish a hard task in a short time, you should say, “_________”.
A. I’m sure you can make it
B. I will help you any time
C. It is as easy as pie
D. It doesn’t matter if you fail
高二英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析